The calm before the storm

The calm before the storm

Naomi Stein TRB
The calm before the storm
It's that time of year again: the hubbub and organized chaos of the Transportation Research Board conference. Last year I had the pleasure of sharing my experiences here on the EDR Group blog and I'm hoping you'll join me again for the ride. I always marvel at the sheer volume of programming at the TRB annual meeting and this year is no exception (see above if you'e curious what the logistics looks like for us here at EDR Group). As always I'm looking forward to reconnecting with old classmates and past/current/future collaborators at other firms and agencies.

This year I will be wearing one new hat at TRB. In addition to attending the Transportation and Economic Development (ADD10) committee meeting as a member, I have the honor of attending my first in-person meeting as a section represenative for the TRB Young Members Council - Planning and Environment Group. YMC exists to encourage and facilitate participation by young professionals in the TRB community.

In the spirit of that, here are my tips for anyone new to TRB:

  • Young people: don’t be afraid of committee meetings. They want you there, I promise!
  • Make plans for at least one meal away from the convention hall. It helps to pace yourself.
  • Business cards are great. But write down notes on the back of them or you’ll never remember that interesting person you met.
  • Can’t scribble down everything you want from that slide or poster? Take a picture.

See you in DC!

Tags: #TRBAM